Behavior, Phenology, and Seasonal Activity

Every species has evolved a particular set of behavior patterns and seasonal rhythms to exist, propagate, and interact with its surroundings. These behavior patterns are regulated by an array of factors:

• Time of day
• Seasons
• Availability of resources
• Interaction with other organisms

Circadian rhythm - a 24-hour internal biological clock that tells them when to be most active.

Ex:

Deer, rabbits, and mosquitoes are active early in the morning and late in the evening. These patterns of activity have evolved as compromises to optimize foraging, reduce competition, and reduce predation or extreme temperature.

Organisms have also adapted to seasonal cycles in numerous behaviors such as migration, hibernation, and estivation. These survival strategies are triggered by environmental signals of shifting temperatures, daylength, and food.

Migration	long journey usually for improved breeding or feeding areas—monarch butterflies, for example, fly thousands of miles each year, as do many birds which migrate south for winter
Hibernation	time of deep sleep and metabolic slowdown during winter.
Estivation	a summer hibernation used by animals such as desert snails and some amphibians to alleviate heat and drought.

Communication is also a very important behavioral feature. Organisms use several different communication methods to entice potential mates, warn others of danger, mark territory, or coordinate social behavior.

Visual Cues	a peacock's extravagant display of feathers or the firefly's flash of bioluminescence
Sound Communication	birdsong, wolf howling, and whale song, which may transmit vast distances through air or sea
Chemical communication	pheromone trails followed by ants or scent marks employed by mammals, is particularly valuable in conditions of low visibility

Phenology - the study of the timing of recurring biological events.

Sources

1. "Circadian Rhythms." National Institute of General Medical Sciences, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms.aspx.
2. "Animal Behavior." Khan Academy, https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/animal-behavior.
3. "Animal Communication." Khan Academy, https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/animal-behavior/animal-communication/a/animal-communication.
4. "Animal Migration." National Geographic Education, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/animal-migration.
5. "Hibernation." National Geographic Education, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/hibernation.
6. "Estivation." Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/science/estivation.
7. "Phenology." National Phenology Network, USA National Phenology Network, https://www.usanpn.org/about/phenology.
8. "What Is Phenology?" Woodland Trust, https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/03/what-is-phenology/.
9. "Animal Senses and Communication." BBC Bitesize, https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zxfwmn/articles/z3yydxs.
10. "Animal Molting." National Geographic Society, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/molting.
11. "Bird Molting and Plumage." Cornell Lab of Ornithology – All About Birds, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/bird-molting-and-plumage/.
12. "Why Do Trees Lose Their Leaves?" Missouri Botanical Garden, https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Portals/0/Education/DiscoveryCenter/TreesLeaves.pdf.
13. "Migration: Seasonal Journeys." Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/migration.
14. "Mating Seasons and Reproduction in Animals." BBC Bitesize, https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zxfwmm/articles/zqnyb9q.
15. "How Do Fireflies Light Up?" Scientific American, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-and-why-do-fireflies-glow/.
16. "Electric Communication in Fish." The Smithsonian Institution, https://naturalhistory.si.edu/education/teaching-resources/life-science/electric-fish.